Our Story
KiDZ Corn is a real farm stand run by real kids. They help grow it, then pick it, haul it and sell it, and they learn the value of hard work and good customer service along the way.
“It's about the learnings, not the earnings.”
A family corn patch that grew
For more than 20 years our family has grown a couple of acres of sweet corn for friends, family and neighbors in Nampa. People kept telling us it was the best corn they'd ever had, so in 2018 the kids opened a stand to share it with the rest of the Treasure Valley.
We grow just one variety, non-GMO Nirvana bicolor sweet corn, and plant it in several waves so there's fresh corn from the end of July all the way through August.
Spring: planting
The season starts in the spring when the soil warms up. Nirvana is planted in several waves a couple of weeks apart, so instead of one big harvest there's a steady supply of perfectly ripe corn all the way from the end of July through August.
Early summer: keeping the weeds down
In the early years, the kids weeded the whole patch by hand, and it was a lot of work! Today we use a low-spray approach: we only spray an herbicide while the corn plants are still very small (less than a foot tall), long before any ears ever start to form. Doing that early keeps the weeds under control so the kids can focus on hand-picking the corn.
Getting the stand ready
Every summer starts with figuring out what we need to do to get the stand ready. Sometimes it's new roadside signs or a fresh coat of paint on them (the kids paint and stencil every one), and sometimes it's ordering supplies or repairing things. If you've followed a “Fresh Corn” arrow down Ustick Road, you've seen their handiwork!
Summer: picked fresh every morning
During the season the crew is in the field early, picking by hand while the corn is cool and sweet. Ears go from the stalk to the trailer to the stand the same day, never sitting in a warehouse or on a truck.
Running the stand
At the stand the kids do it all: bundling dozens, making change, taking pre-orders and helping customers pick out the best ears. Many of our customers come back every summer, and some have watched these kids grow up behind the trailer.
Running the stand is also where the kids learn how to give great customer service: greeting every car with a smile, answering questions about the corn, carrying bags to the car and making sure every customer leaves happy. They take pride in it, and they really do enjoy the tips. Thank you to everyone who has left one!
Every dozen is bundled and wrapped by hand, ready to grab and go.
The best part
Fresh-picked corn for dinner, with the field it came from right behind the table. Our own family puts away more than 200 ears in the freezer every year so the summer flavor lasts until next season. Here's how we freeze and cook ours.
Come support the KiDZ!
Open end of July – end of August: Mon–Fri 10:30–5:30, Sat 10–5.
Pre-orders and bulk orders for freezing are always welcome.